Florida’s women’s cross country team has been bolstered up with the recent additions of Flomena Asekol, Amelia Mazza-Downie and Elise Thorner.

Here’s what you need to know:

– The Florida Gators women’s cross country program did not qualify for last year’s NCAA Cross Country Championships. The team was represented individually by Parker Valby, who finished second overall behind NC State’s Katelyn Tuohy. Valby will return to Florida this fall and just signed a deal with Nike to become the brand’s first female NIL track and field athlete.

– Many recent changes have been made since coach Joe Franklin announced his move from New Mexico to Louisville. Several women on the Lobos’ cross-country team have entered the transfer portal.

– Amelia Mazza-Downie, New Mexico’s top finisher at last year’s NCAA Cross Country Championships (22nd overall), has transferred to Florida

– Elise Thorner, who was 40th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships last year (New Mexico’s 5th woman), was announced as a grad transfer on Friday. She just finished fifth in the 3000m steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

– Flomena Asekol transferred from Florida and reunites with coach Will Palmer, who took over after Chris Solinsky left for the Oregon assistant coaching job in January. Asekol was 16th overall and No. 3 for Alabama at last year’s NCAA Cross Country Championships. The Crimson Tide finished third in the team standings.

Our Take

“Florida’s women are already bringing back their top three women (Valby, Jordan Shapiro and Vasileia Spyrou) who were all top 20 at the SEC Cross Country Championships and finished fifth as a team.

When you add in Asekol, Thorner and Downie and then some solid high school recruits, I could see coach Palmer delivering back-t0-back SEC titles with two different schools.

This team has the potential to put four in the top five individually at the SEC Cross Country Championships. Can they beat NC State, who I would pencil in as the current favorites, at the NCAA Championships? I’m not sure.

I feel confident in saying they can podium. Valby, Asekol and Mazza-Downie have the upside to be like 35 points between three athletes at the NCAA Championships. Toss in Thorner for 30-ish points and then another athlete finishing in the 100s, then you’re looking at a podium team at minimum.

The biggest key will be to stay healthy because if an injury bug hits, the depth isn’t quite there.” – Isaac Wood of The Wood Report